


coming home

by tentoheaven (firstmins)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Chatting & Messaging, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Overthinking, Secrets, Surprises, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firstmins/pseuds/tentoheaven
Summary: Mark loves Ten. He's never doubted that for a single moment.But when his boyfriend starts acting increasingly more distant, Mark can't help but wonder whether Ten still feels the same.
Relationships: Mark Lee/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Comments: 22
Kudos: 133
Collections: Challenge #5 — I heard a secret..





	coming home

**Author's Note:**

> The entire premise of this fic is so self-indulgent, but I hope you enjoy reading this too! Thank you so much to the mods for making this wonderful (hehe) fest happen, I'm looking forward to joining more in the future :D

Mark doesn’t think much of it at first. While he’s prone to overthink, Ten has always been the wonderful exception. With Ten, there’s no doubt, no second guessing. That’s how it’s always been. Still, when Ten starts to cancel on their online dates—consisting of bad movies and snacks they pretend to share—more often, Mark can’t help but notice.

**ten <33  
**[Picture Attached]  
good morning, babe~

It’s a selfie, showing a smiling Ten with round glasses. The picture was taken in bed, and would be cute enough if it weren’t for Ten clearly being shirtless.

**You  
**djchsjdj  
i mean  
cool  
cool cool cool  
that’s

**ten <33  
**cool?

**You  
**sjdjd yeah

Mark hides his warm cheeks in the safety of his cushion, grateful that his boyfriend can’t see him. (That’s a lie—he’d gladly give up his dignity if it meant he could have Ten here with him.)

**You  
**you look good  
really good  
as always

**ten <33  
**i know ;)

**You  
**-_-

**ten <33  
**u can’t fool me, Mark Lee  
i know for a fact that you’re grinning like a lovestruck fool rn

Instead of embarrassing himself even further by doing something stupid like admitting that he’s completely right, Mark changes the subject.

**You  
**movie date at 8 my time?

There’s a pause. Two minutes pass before Mark’s phone vibrates with a new text. His eyes don’t leave the screen the entire time.

**ten <33  
**sorry baby :( i have to cover another shift then. some other time?

His heart sinks. That’s the second time in the past two weeks, and Mark can’t help but worry. He knows that Ten loves his job more than anything, but he also has the dangerous tendency to overwork himself.

**You  
**sure, don’t worry about it!  
and don’t work too hard pls  
drink water and all that stuff

**ten <33  
**“and all that stuff” lol  
yes markie i won’t overextend myself, don’t worry ( ˘ ³˘)♥  
have a good day baby  
love uuu

**You  
**i love you too  
now go to sleep, it’s late

**ten <33  
**aye aye captain!

Mark doesn’t even realise he’s smiling again until his cheeks start to ache. It's crazy how just a few text messages can brighten up his mood so significantly, but he’s long given up on trying to figure out the solar force that is Ten. He’s simply grateful that he has the privilege of basking in it.

He turns back to his phone, checking the time when his eyes linger on the date. Saturday. Tonight for Mark would be tomorrow noon for Ten. His eyebrows knit together in a frown, and that’s when the first knot in his stomach forms.

Mark learned the ins and outs of Ten’s schedule months ago, even has it written down somewhere, but he knows he isn’t mistaken.

The dance studio Ten works at isn’t open on Sundays.

After that, the excuses become glaringly obvious. And they just keep piling up.

While being with Ten, Mark has learned the intricacies of long distance relationships. Above all else, it means unwavering trust. That’s never been an issue before, and part of him is consumed with guilt at the notion that he’s started doubting Ten now.

But that first ripple caused a series of waves, and Mark can feel the water slowly dragging him down.

“Yo, are you okay?”

Mark looks up from the salad he’d been picking at. “Huh?”

“Dude, you’ve been out of it all day,” Yangyang remarks with a frown. “You haven’t even laughed at my jokes _once.”_

“Maybe you’re just not that funny.”

Yangyang rolls his eyes. “Never stopped you from laughing before. So, what’s up?”

Mark hesitates. It’s not like he doesn’t trust Yangyang enough to discuss this with him. They’ve known each other since freshman year, and Mark doubts he would’ve made it up until now without Yangyang’s support. No, the problem isn’t him.

The problem is that Mark doesn’t want to admit there’s a problem. Saying it out loud, putting his fears about his relationship which had always felt so secure out in the open… it’s a scary thing. Part of him feels like if he ignores it just a bit longer, it’ll all go away. Like it’s not real as long as he doesn’t talk about it.

But he knows that’s bullshit.

“It’s Ten,” he says quietly, and any semblance of teasing disappears from Yangyang’s face.

“Did something happen?”

“Not really.” The confusion on Yangyang’s face visibly increases, and Mark sighs. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I think he might be hiding something from me. He keeps giving excuses to bail on me, but they don’t make sense.”

Yangyang’s eyes widen. “You don’t think…”

It takes a second for Mark to realise where Yangyang’s thoughts have gone. As soon as he catches on, he gasps and quickly shakes his head.

“No! God no,” he rushes. “That hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

“Good. Ten is cool, I would hate to get rid of him,” Yangyang says, sounding a tinge too serious. Then he eyes Mark, gaze curious. “What, then?”

Mark shifts in his seat. “Maybe he just, like, grew tired of me.” He shrugs, a weak attempt at nonchalance.

“You’re kidding.” Yangyang stares. “Mark. My dude. My bro. Ten is _crazy_ about you. Even I can see that.”

“I don’t know…” Mark keeps his eyes on the salad he’d long given up on. “Maybe it’s getting too much for him. _I’m_ getting too much for him. I can be kinda clingy. And I keep him up with my texts and calls all the time, that must be tiring, right?”

Yangyang doesn’t look convinced. “You do realise that we’re talking about Ten? He can take care of himself, and I’m sure that if you were bothering him he’d tell you to your face.” Then, with a grimace, he adds, “Probably in kinder words, though. He’s whipped for you.”

Mark huffs, but the words bring a small smile to his face nonetheless. “I might be overthinking it.”

“I bet you are,” Yangyang says vehemently, before throwing himself into another topic. Mark is grateful for the distraction, and feels a bit lighter than he did before.

**ten <33  
**hey markie  
you’ve been quiet :(  
busy?

**You  
**nah, just not much to talk about  
i had lunch with yangyang today  
wbu?

**ten <33  
**that’s the evil one, right?  
lololol  
i’m on my break rn, so don’t have much time to talk  
wanna call tomorrow?

**You  
**that’s one way to describe him haha  
sure!!  
take care babe

The thing about being with Ten is that it’s _easy_ , even with 17 hours and over 5000 miles between them. Time and distance easily fade away as soon as Ten’s thousand watt smile appears on his computer screen, and though at times the world seems to be against them, they’ve made it work since the beginning. Because if what they have now is easy, then falling in love with Ten might just be the easiest thing Mark has ever done.

Back then, he hadn’t known what to make of the unknown number texting him. He’d considered blocking it, until the stranger mentioned Johnny. Mark still didn’t answer after that, instead calling Johnny to ask—

“Why is some random guy telling me you gave him my number?”

“Hello to you too, Mark,” Johnny laughed.

“What the hell, dude!”

“Look, I can explain.”

Mark huffed. “I sure hope so.”

“Ten is a friend of mine. He recently moved to Seoul and found a job in the studio across from my cafe. He’s nice.”

_Ten._ So that was the stranger’s name.

“Doesn’t explain why you gave him my number.”

Johnny laughed again. “It’s not that deep, Mark. He saw you on my instagram and thought you were cute. I know that you’re still as tragically single as ever, so I gave him your number.”

Mark opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he echoed, “Cute?”

“Yes, Mark, you are very cute,” Johnny answered, and Mark could practically hear him roll his eyes.

“What about him?” Mark blurted out. “Is he…”

“He’s a catch,” Johnny affirmed. “I can send you pictures if you want?”

“Uhm, yeah. Yeah, that would be great. If he doesn’t mind.”

Johnny snorted. “Ten isn’t exactly shy, if anything he’ll be flattered you asked. Now can you please reply to him? He’s sulking and keeps spamming me.”

Mark could feel his cheeks heat up. _This is ridiculous,_ he’d thought at the time. _Nothing will ever come from this._

Except something did. It had taken months of getting to know each other, followed by months of pining in between calls before they decided to try this, _them_ , out. Unsurprisingly, Ten had been the one to confess—unintentionally ruining Mark’s own plans. Mark didn’t mind, not really, not when it felt so natural. The song he’d been writing with the goal to confess to Ten was finished in time for their first Valentine’s together, and Ten had loved it.

Point is, they’ve always been easy together. Even through their disagreements, Mark knew they’d be okay. Because this was them, Ten and Mark, and they cared too much for one another to ever let anything come between them. At least, that’s what he’s always thought. So maybe it shouldn’t have come to a surprise that as soon as Ten accepts his call, his worries morph to something more manageable. When Ten’s sweet voice washes over him, he can’t help but relax, and smiling comes easy. If Ten notices that Mark is quieter than usual, he doesn’t point it out.

Things don’t get better after that, but they don’t get worse either. Their calls become more frequent with the start of winter break, but so do the excuses. It leaves Mark feeling hollow on the days Ten blows him off, unsure whether or not to believe the explanations he’s been given. Today is one of those days.

_I made plans with Johnny after work tomorrow. We haven’t had the chance to hang out for a while._

Mark had waved it off with a smile, assuring Ten that _yes, he understands_ , before they’d ended their call. Which brings him to where he is now, twelve hours later, staring at his screen again.

He doesn’t want to ask. Doesn’t want to be _that_ person. The part of him that’s still desperate to trust Ten is protesting, but this is the only way to put his mind to rest

His chat with Johnny has been dry recently, with Mark being preoccupied with his studies and Johnny currently in the middle of moving to a new flat. It isn’t an unusual occurrence, hasn’t been since Mark returned to Vancouver. While he misses him at times, their friendship isn’t one that needs constant maintenance, and Mark is grateful for it. He’d last heard from Johnny a week ago, when he’d asked about Mark’s winter break plans. Johnny had mentioned they should chat more often, and Mark decides now is as good a time as any to take him up on it.

**You  
**yoo johnny  
you busy today?

He waits, tapping his fingers on the back of his phone. Five minute later, he receives a reply.

**main bro  
**Nah  
Planning to crash and sleep for at least 12 hours once I get home  
I spent all of yesterday hauling boxes and I swear my body is giving up on me

**You  
**hahahaha  
okay, nevermind then!  
oh btw, have you seen ten recently?

**main bro  
**Yeah, he helped me out yesterday!  
There’s great strength hidden in that tiny body  
You’re a lucky man ;)

**You  
**hahaha right  
i gotta go sorry  
rest well!

He throws his phone to the side before Johnny gets the chance to answer, eyes burning. There’s no more denying it, then: Ten had lied right to his face. His phone buzzes with more messages, and he buries himself under his blanket to block out the sound. The world can wait another day.

In true Mark fashion, he copes through avoidance. He cancels on calls with Ten, replies only when it’s necessary and makes sure every conversation ends as quickly as it begins. He can sense that his behaviour is upsetting Ten, but doesn’t let it get to him. _Ten_ is the one who should feel guilty.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this method is soon proven to be ineffective. The more he avoids Ten, the more he thinks of him, and he finds himself fighting the instinct to text Ten every time something happens. He’s brushed off Ten’s attempts at asking what’s wrong, but knows that he can’t keep this going for much longer. Eventually, Ten will want answers, or Mark’s broken trust will lead him to doing something completely irrational like block his boyfriend on every platform. So, finding what little bravery is left in him, Mark decides to put an end to this for once and for all.

**You  
**hey  
can we talk

**ten :/  
**??  
is everything okay??

**You  
**yeah  
i mean  
kind of?  
i’ve been driving myself insane and i really need answers

**ten :/  
**oh  
okay  
give me like  
a few more minutes?

Mark frowns, disappointment burning through him like acid. As much as he wants to agree, allow Ten to get away with yet another excuse, he refuses to budge this time.

**You  
**i’ve been waiting for an explanation for weeks  
we’re doing this now  
i know you’ve been lying to me, ten.  
i don’t know what happened, what i did wrong but…  
if you don’t want me anymore  
please just tell me

He stares at the banner indicating that Ten is typing. A second later it disappears, before reappearing again. By the time Ten answers, he’s bitten his lip hard enough to hurt.

**ten :/  
**what  
WHAT  
mark lee you idiot  
you absolute BUFFOON

**You  
**uhm...?

**ten :/  
**of course i still want you  
i can’t believe you would say that what the HELL mark  
i’m so  
you know what nevermind  
let’s not discuss this over text

**You  
**you want to call??

**ten :/  
**no

**You  
**????

He doesn’t realise he’s holding his breath until a loud knock startles it out of him. He stands up, approaching the door wearily while keeping his focus on his screen. He isn’t expecting anyone today, and he definitely isn’t in the mood for one of Yangyang’s unplanned visits. After a moment of indecisiveness, he’s just about to ignore it when another text comes through.

**ten :/**  
open the door, you dumb baby  
<3

His lips part in surprise, eyebrows lowering into a frown. Mark glances at the door with apprehension before reading Ten’s text again. It’s easy to connect the dots, yet Mark is scared to believe it, terrified to get his hopes crushed.

With shaking hands, he reaches for the door and opens it.

In front of him, close enough to touch, stands Ten. Smiling wide enough for the corners of his eyes to crinkle, and holding a bouquet that’s larger than his own head. His dark hair is ruffled, face bare, and he’s wearing a sweater Mark recognises from countless pictures. All of it only turns him more real, more _here_ , and Mark thinks Ten has never looked as beautiful as in this instance.

“Surprise,” Ten says softly, still grinning. There’s no static, no graininess to his voice caused by a bad connection. It’s clear and high and gentle.

Mark might just cry.

“You’re here,” is all his scrambled brain can come up with.

Ten’s smile doesn’t dim, but it turns more subdued. Shy. “I’m sorry for not telling you. Leaving you in the dark like that, it was unfair. I really wanted to surprise you, so I took up another job at a local bar and increased my shifts and— it doesn’t matter, what I’m saying is that I’m sorry for hurting you. I hadn’t considered how all of it would come across.”

Mark shakes his head, only barely able to process Ten’s stream of words, capable of understanding just enough to know that it’d all been a misunderstanding. He wants to say something, because Ten’s eyes are wide and expectant, but it’s all too much so instead he looks down at the bouquet of red carnations.

“For you,” Ten says, pushing it forward. Mark takes it, blood rushing to his face when their fingers brush. Ten’s hands are soft, colder than his own. Mark wonders what it would feel like to hold them, then realises he might just find out soon.

He finally raises his eyes to meet Ten’s, ready to say something along the lines of _I can’t believe you’re here_ or _I thought you got sick of me_ or maybe just a simple _come in._

Instead, in what must be one of the most unromantic displays of affection in the history of mankind, his traitorous mouth blurts out, “I love you.”

Ten blinks, momentarily stunned, before his lips curl into another brilliant smile. There’s a rosy hue to his cheeks when he responds.

“I love you too, silly. Now are you gonna kiss your boyfriend hello, or what?”

His entire body tingles as he sputters out a shy _yes_. For once it’s him who takes the leap, steps forward and gently cups Ten’s face. The skin is warm beneath his palms, and Mark pauses to admire how stupidly pretty his boyfriend is, and wonders whether it’s possible for his heart to beat right out of his chest. Ten doesn’t comment on his staring, only arches his brow ever so slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. It’s still enough to make the blush on Mark’s face deepen, and before his nerves can get the better of him he slots their lips together.

It’s simultaneously everything he’d expected and so much more. Ten’s lips are soft against his own, and a giddy feeling rises up in Mark’s chest when Ten smiles into the kiss. When he reluctantly pulls back, Ten chases his lips. Mark giggles, but doesn’t stop his boyfriend from pulling him into another kiss.

It feels like coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments make my day, so please let me know your thoughts ♥
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/tentoheaven)   
> [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/tentoheaven)


End file.
